Regular Post
Written by webtechs

Benefits of Cooling Tower Repair

Should you choose to ignore your cooling tower’s operating condition for an extended amount of time it can prove to be detrimental, costing a lot more in the long run to have it fixed. If your cooling tower looks good, then chances are that it is no longer working well either and you need to have it checked out by a team of professional specialists and get it back to its optimal operating condition, whether it is in need of being repaired or restored.

Cooling Tower Repair Benefits

Here at All Kote, we are considered to be industry leaders and we remain as the forefront in our sector because we provide you with practical solutions to all issues related to cooling towers. Below we will be looking at several of the benefits of cooling tower repair and maintenance.

Health

There can be significant health risks involved when a cooling tower is left to corrode and deteriorate. Cases have been known where a tower that was coated with epoxy or a powder coating caused the internal steel substrates to start corroding, which created a micro aquatic bacterial growth.

This is something that can cause Pseudomonas, Legionella, and Biofilm, which can create severe problems to the health of those in the vicinity of that tower.

Durability

Anytime we carry out repair work to your cooling tower, we always make certain that we leave its structure in its best possible condition, ensuring it remains durable, as well as resilient for future use. We leave your tower protected from an attack of bacteria and capable to handle high levels of chemical resistance and impacts because we apply our own unique coating system of urethane which is an anti-corrosion material.

Cost-Effectiveness

If our team of professionals carry out the repairing of your cooling tower it will reduce the number of repairs, it is going to need in the future. Many towers face an ongoing problem that consists of the mastic in between the joints, and this is prone to getting chemical attacks, and losing its much-needed elasticity over a period of time. When this is left untreated it causes the structure to start leaking, and turning into a very disastrous situation for you to have to manage.”

Future Maintenance

We can prevent the leaking of chemicals and water coming from the mastic/joints by using our special repair techniques and coatings, ensuring that your tower has been left with an easy to clean finish for your convenience in keeping your tower at its optimal condition, having the benefit of less downtime. Our expert repairs to cooling towers has been proved to be beneficial countless times. We are a highly experienced company with the ability to continue ensuring the work, the efficiency, and the excellent condition of your cooling towers to have a long-term future, subsequently, also ensuring the peace of mind of all of our clients.

Phoenix Valley Cooling Tower Repair Service

If you’re looking for the best cooling tower repair and refurbishment, All Kote Lining Inc. is here to serve you.  Cooling towers are expensive investments in your commercial or industrial properties and should last as long as humanly possible.  Taking care of the cooling tower through regular maintenance and refurbishment is the key to getting the maximum amount of years from your equipment and saving money.  Our services save you money in making the equipment last longer and use less energy.  For more information about how our team can help repair and maintain your cooling towers in the Phoenix Valley please call 480-966-4446.

Cooling Towers
1
Regular Post
Written by webtechs

How To: Controlling Biofilm in Cooling Towers

Controlling biofilm in cooling towers is the priority of any property owner.  Biofilm robs your system of it’s efficiency and left unchecked can lead to the development of bacteria. Other than the specter of MIC eating on the metallic parts of your cooling system, aggregations of biofilms additionally repress heat transfer in the condenser tubes and can gather on cooling tower fill to the point where it can crumple the fill support and make serious damage to the cooling tower.

How To Control Biolfilm

The way to keep up control over microbiological populaces in power plant cooling water is to give a steady level of treatment consistently. That is, the treatment should be reliably powerful. The real convergences of biocide required to give this level of treatment may change essentially, contingent upon cooling water conditions and nature.

Some power plants find that they can stun treat the cooling water system for an hour daily amid the greater part of the year and slice back to a few times per week amid the winter while still appropriately controlling biofouling in their system. Other power plants do not just require every day or even consistent bolster of dye, yet additionally need to include extra nonoxidizing biocides amid the midyear months.

Oxidizing Biocide

The most widely recognized strategy for establishing that you are adding adequate oxidizing biocide to control microbiological fouling is the free chlorine test. This is a base and ought to be performed amid every chlorination cycle, or day by day for those that ceaselessly chlorinate. As conditions change the measure of blanch required to create the coveted free accessible chlorine leftover will change, and the plant ought to react by expanding or diminishing the biocide nourish rate likewise. Note that oxidation diminishment potential (ORP) isn’t a decent sign of microbiological control in cooling water. ORP is not a viable replacement for testing free accessible chlorine.

The Role of Chlorine

Getting the Full Benefit from Chlorine. A full exchange of the different sorts of biocides and advancing methodologies for their utilization is past the extent of this article. In any case, it is great to say a couple of words in regards to the most widely recognized biocide utilized as a part of energy plants: chlorine.

Already, the most widely recognized wellspring of chlorine was chlorine gas delivered to control plants as a dense fluid in 1-ton chambers. It was dissipated and cleared into the cooling water lines as a gas. At the point when chlorine gas broke down in water, it shaped hydrochloric corrosive and hypochlorous corrosive. The hydrochloric corrosive brought down the cooling water pH somewhat, which improved the impact of hypochlorous corrosive as a biocide. Evident worries about security were the essential reason that power plants moved far from the utilization of 1-ton chlorine barrels to sodium hypochlorite commercial bleach conveyance.

Commercial bleach can be commonly provided at 10% or 12.5% chlorine. 1 lb of chlorine gas will make 0.74 lb of hypochlorousacid, while 1 gallon of 12.5% bleach can possibly create 0.875 pounds of hypochlorous acid, if there is adequate hydrogen particle in the cooling water to shape the acid.

Commercial bleach is produced by gurgling chlorine gas into a scathing arrangement. Some additional scathing intentionally stays in the sanitizer to moderate the decay of hypochlorite to chlorates. The run of the mill pH of commercial bleach is near 11.5 and 13.5. Bleach arrangements that have a pH of 11 or less deteriorate quickly.

So the use of chlorine gas when compared to the use of bleach has the potential to increase the pH of cooling water. It has been stated that hypochlorous acid is more effective as a biocide than the hypochlorite ion. Thus, bleach loses its activity as a biocide in high pH cooling waters.

Sodium Hypochlorite Solutions

Sodium hypochlorite solutions will begin to decompose the minute they are created. They decompose along with 2 chemical pathways: by forming chlorate and by releasing oxygen. In quality hypochlorite solutions, the formation of chlorate is the main pathway. A variety of factors may accelerate the decomposition of bleach. The most critical are exposure to UV radiation, concentration, temperature, and time.

  • Bleach will decompose over time. It is calculated that 90F storage, a 10% bleach solution will lose half of the effective hypochlorite concentration in 95 days. You may use a tank of bleach in a few weeks, you may want to ask the supplier how long it has been in storage before arriving at your facility.
  • In just 60 days at 68F storage, bleach will lose 17% of the hypochlorite, where at 90F it will lose 55%. The temperature needs to be a consideration in placing a hypochlorite storage tank.
  • UV Radiation. UV rays from sunlight can decompose bleach solutions. Your bleach tanks need to be made from UV resistant materials or coated in a way that it will exclude UV light or place them inside.
  • The more concentrated the bleach solution is, the faster it will decompose. If your site is not a big bleach use, it may be best to stick with a 10% bleach solution instead of a higher concentration.

Other factors that will have an effect on the decomposition rate will include concentration of chlorides, and transition metals that may get into the bleach from caustic that was used in the manufacture or in the piping and tank materials where the bleach is stored. The nickel level in bleach needs to be less than 0.1 mg per 1 and copper needs to be less than 1 mg per 1.

Testing Bulk Chemicals

It is essential to test Bulk Chemicals. It becomes the chemistry personnel to check the hypochlorite concentration in every shipment of blanch before it is offloaded into their tank. One plant addressed why it was all of a sudden not accomplishing a free accessible chlorine remaining in its cooling water, as it had previously. A check of the detergent mass tank found that the fixation in the tank was just 2.5% dye. Clearly, the past dye conveyance was not the 10% dye the provider asserted it was. Basic hypochlorite test packs are accessible for this reason.

Avoid Bromine in Towers

Bromine Is Not a Biocide. At times I hear individuals alluding to their cooling water science as “bromine” science. Bromine is a rosy dark colored gas and exceptionally lethal (like its neighbor in the intermittent table—chlorine gas). Isn’t something that ought to ever be created at a power plant. The utilization of sodium bromide to improve the biocidal properties of blanch at higher cooling water pH esteems, in any case, is extremely normal.

It is vital to remember that sodium bromide isn’t a biocide. It is a simple salt that has no biocidal properties. It will only have them it has reacted with hypochlorous acid properly and not bleach that will form the hypobromous acid, which will be the desired biocide.

Stabilized hypobromous acid is also available at various chemical vendors. This helps to eliminate the need to mix sodium bromide and bleach on site. However,it will be more expensive to purchase the stabilized hypobromous acid than to make it.

Cooling Tower Maintenance & Repair

If you own or operate a facility in the Phoenix Valley that needs cooling tower maintenance or repair we can help!  All Kote Lining, Inc. specializes in cooling tower repair and refurbishment.   A big part of cooling tower maintenance is controlling and removing biofilm.  If you’ve got a cooling tower that needs some attention, give us a call. We also provide chiller repair & maintenance and tank coating services.

Call today to schedule an appointment – 480-966-4446

Cooling Towers
0
Regular Post
Written by webtechs

What Caused The Disneyland Legionnaries’ Disease Outbreak?

If you’re searching for “Disneyland Legionnaries’ Disease” you’re likely trying to understand what shut down Disneyland’s Cooling Towers in November of 2017.  Naturally everyone wanting to visit the park will want to understand what Legionnaries’ Disease is, and how it happened.  The source of the outbreak that affected 9 people finds its source in 2 of the park’s cooling towers.

What Is Legionnaries’ Disease?

Legionallosis is caused by Legionella bacteria which leads to a respiratory disease.  Legionnnaries’ Diease is a serious form of pneumonia which can be potentially life threatening.  The disease is not contagious, so it cannot be transmitted from person to person.  It develops in the natural environment typically around water and doesn’t typically make anyone sick.

In areas where there are manmade water systems such as cooling towers it can be carried via the moisture exhausted from cooling towers.  This exhaust is simply steam and the water droplets can be inhaled.  For this reason cooling tower maintenance and cooling tower water treatments are so important.  Allowing biological growth in the cooling tower can lead to Legionella and potentially make people sick.

Symptoms Of Legionnaries’ Disease

If you or someone you know has visited Disneyland lately you might be concerned that they have been exposed.  While many people can be exposed to the disease and have no reaction there are people who will.  Those with compromised immune systems, are elderly, or have chronic respiratory problems are especially at risk.  Watch for the following symptoms of Legionnaries’ Disease.

High Fever – Chills – Cough

Symptoms develop within between 2 to 10 days after being exposed to the bacteria, so watch carefully during this period of time.  Anyone over the age of 50 should immediately seek the attention of their doctor if they show signs of Legionarries’ Disease after a visit to the park.

Click the links below for more information:

[one-half-first]Center For Disease Control on Legionella

Disneyland’s Statement On Legionella[/one-half-first]
[one-half]Read Newsweek’s Report On The Incident

Live Science On Cooling Towers & Legionnaries’[/one-half]

Cooling Tower Cleaning & Maintenance

Do you have a commercial location that uses cooling tower?  They are part of the HVAC systems, industrial processes, and hospital operation in the Phoenix Valley and need to be kept clean to avoid bacterial infections.  Keeping your cooling tower in good condition is the job of cooling tower maintenance companies, and All Kote is Phoenix’ go to source for the best service.  If you’re not if your cooling tower is at risk give us a call to make sure your CDC and OSHA compliant for your cooling towers.

Reach our dedicated team of cooling tower maintenance technicians at 480-966-4446

Cooling Towers, Uncategorized
0
Regular Post
Written by webtechs

Cooling Tower Fire Protection

Cooling towers are an integral part of operations for many commercial and industrial facilities.  If a cooling tower is lost, it will likely have a significant impact on the operation of the facility.  Cooling tower fire protection is an important part of managing a large commercial or industrial operation.

Cooling Towers & Materials

Many industrial processes are not possible without the cooling that cooling towers provide.  A cooling tower, as many of us know, is to transfer heat from one medium to another.  Much like a motor and a radiator in a vehicle an industrial process that produces heat will need to be cooled.  Depending on the application you will find all sorts of designs, sizes, and materials used in the fabrication of cooling towers.  The largest cooling towers are found in nuclear power plants and are monoliths.

Cooling Tower Fabrication

Cooling towers are made from a number of materials such as metal frames, metal parts, plastic fill, and wood.  The cooling tower itself or the fill media that is used to maximize air and water contact can be flammable. Depending on the materials it is possible for the dry areas in a cooling tower to be exceptionally flammable.  This might surprise people with the quantity of water cooling towers typically handle.

Mitigating Fire Hazards in Cooling Towers

Clearly there is a risk of fire in a cooling tower so taking proactive preventative steps is important.  It is a best practice if the cooling towers can be located a distance from combustible materials or structures.  Cooling towers should be designed with fire barriers to help prevent fire from spreading through the tower and into the buildings.

It is critical that there are firefighting appliances like standpipes and fire hydrants be installed close to the cooling tower.  Cooling towers also present a potential lightning risk with the metal used in their fabrication and parts.  For this reason cooling towers should be provided with lightning protection.  For more information refer to NFPA 214 Standard on Water-Cooling Towers.

FRP Cooling Tower Fire Protection

With the emergence and popularity operators and manufacturers of fiber-reinforced plastics cooling towers a segment of the industry has become convinced that these towers don’t need fire suppression. Manufactures believe the materials they fabricate the towers from are noncombustible and have no need of an automatic sprinkler system. Many of today’s FRP cooling tower manufacturers state their fill materials and towers have been evaluated to be within codes such as the ASTM E84, this is no guarantee that they are non-combustible. It’s important to realized that the ASTM E 84 does not classify materials heat release rate or combustibility.

FRP Cooling Tower Fire Testing

The only way to know for sure if a automatic sprinkler system is needed is the Factory Mural Research Approval for the tower.  This means that unless the materials and fill are made from masonry, concrete, metal, or tile or have otherwise been proven to be noncombustible they should be treated as combustible.  Following that logic all FRP cooling towers made from materials that are no definitively noncombustible will need automatic sprinkler protection to mitigate the risk of fire in the tower.

The Importance of Cooling Tower Fire Protection

Not assessing or ignoring potential fire hazards is an unnecessary risk in any building, whether it be commercial, industrial, or residential.   If you have substandard fire protection it is a lose-lose situation.  While installing and operating a cheaper cooling tower which doesn’t feature fire mitigation systems might save a few dollar in the short term, it will cost in the long term.

At best the higher insurance premiums will offset any savings from not installing the fire control systems.  And worst the lives of your personnel will be at risk, along with the property itself.  Replacing, rebuilding, and downtime are enormously costly for just about every industrial or commercial facility.  Invest in protecting your cooling tower from fire hazards and have the peace of mind that your cooling tower is not a liability.   For help with all your cooling tower maintenance needs in the Phoenix Valley contact All Kote Lining, Inc.

Cooling Towers
0
Regular Post
Written by webtechs

Heating and Cooling Technologies

If you’re searching for Heating and cooling technologies and want to understand how they work this article will help you.  Common heating and cooling technologies including cooling towers, evaporation coolers, and humidifiers.  All of these devices help keep our residential, commercial, and industrial properties warm in the winter and cool in the summer.  It is these hard working mechanical systems that make our modern world comfortable and practical.

Cooling Towers | Evaporative Coolers | Humidifiers

Cooling Towers

A cooling tower happens to be used to cool off the circulating water that is used in power stations, oil refineries and chemical plants as well as for large scaled AC units. They are going to be the largest non-residential water consumers. Water that falls through the tower will be cooled because of evaporating and then it is returned to the tower top. The water that will drop into the basin will be about 10 degrees cooler than the water that is returned to the top. Towers will vary in size from large structures to small roof top units. The taller the tower is, the greater the temperature drop will be.

Water that is lost by evaporating, drift and bleed off which is water that is used to carry away the mineral buildup within the cooling tower. Water will need to be added to the system to make up for the loss which is called makeup water. Evaporated water loss from a cooling tower can be estimated to be 3 gallons of water per minute for 100 tons of water cooled. That means that a tower that has 500 tons of cooling will evaporate almost 22,000 gallons of water over a 24 hour period of operation.

Bleed-off Reduction

A major way to help improvewater efficiency of the cooling tower is to actually being to reduce the bleed off amount. Water can be reduced by 20% or more by circulating the water through the tower a few more times before bleed off happens. This results in a higher concentration ratio. A cooler’s concentration ratio is the measure of water use efficiency. The higher that the ratio is, the more water efficient it is.

Bleed-off Reuse

Cooling tower bleed off may be used to irrigate plants that aren’t sensitive to high salt content. Another type of option is to send it to water treatment plants. Not only would these options save water, but they may also save money through reduced sewer and water costs.

Use of Sulfuric Acid

Using sulfuric acid within the chemical treatment of a cooling tower will help to prevent scale buildup, so that the water is able to circulate more times before it is discarded or any makeup water is added. If the sulfuric acid treatment isn’t practical or feasible, then carboxylated polymers called carboxylates may be used in order to control the pH and prevent scale. The carboxylate solubility is double without any treatment but less than using sulfuric acid.

Conductivity Controller

A conductivity controller is a device will automatically control the blowdown based on the number of concentration cycles that may be safely done. The resulting conductivity which is measured in microsegments per centimeter or uS/cm. The conductivity controller may continuously measure the conductivity of the cooling tower water as well as the discharge water whenever the conductivity set point has been exceeded.

EVAPORATIVE COOLERS

Evaporative coolers also called swamp coolers will increase the humidity of incoming air that is being drawn into the building and decreases the temperature. After a bit of time, recirculating the water in the evaporative cooler will assume the entering air temperature. This temperature is going to be the lowest temperature that the air may be cooled too.

The principal opportunity for conservation of water that is used is to help reduce the flow of bleed off from the coolers. Normally on a small stream of bleed off is needed for operation, however excessive amounts of water are often bled off. This wastes water and impairs the cooling efficiency of the cooler because the water doesn’t get as cold as possible.

There are 3 common types of evaporative coolers: dump pump, recirculating, and non-recirculating. The bleed off from all of these can be used to irrigate plants that aren’t sensitive to high salt content.

Recirculating Evaporative Cooler

This cooler type, the water will run off the pads and is captured and recirculated multiple times before it is discarded. A small amount of bleed off will be needed to control concentrations of contaminants within the water and to prevent damage to the cooler pads, which allow it to effectively operate. Bleed off valves may be adjusted to discharged the minimum amount of water needed. Recirculating evaporative coolers will only use about 3 gallons of water per hour.

“Dump pump” Evaporative Cooler

A dump pump will automatically empty and refill the water collection pan every few hours.

Once-through Cooling for Equipment

Within dry climates, equipment may be cooled using single pass or once through water. This is a very intensive water cooling process as the water is passed through and it cools the equipment, the water is discarded. Equipment that may be cooled by once through water are x-ray machines, degreasers, air conditioners, vacuum pumps, welders, hydraulic presses, air compressors, viscosity baths, condensers, hydraulic equipment, and rectifiers. Most types of water cooled equipment may be replaced by air cooled, energy efficient models. Water usage may be reduced through recirculation by using water from a non-portable source and by reusing the once through water for other purposes like irrigation or cooling towers. These practices help to save water and may also save money by decreased sewer and water costs.

In active management areas in Arizona, the ADWR prohibits using once through cooling water by industries that have their own wells unless the water is being reused.

Boiler & Steam Generators

Boilers are used within large heating systems of in those industries where a large amount of process steam is used. Water will be added to a boiler system to make up for any water loss and to help replace water loss whenever the boiler is blown down to remove solids that have built up. Whenever it is practical, steam condensate will need to be captured and returned to the boiler to be reused as makeup water. Condensate return systems will save water, reduce costs of pretreating boiler feed water and reduces energy use. Boiler operating costs could be reduced by 70% by installing a condensate return system. Water that is consumed by boiler systems may vary depending on the system size, how much steam is used, and the amount of condensate return.

Expansion Tanks

Expansion tanks help to provide a cushion of air for expansion of water when it heats. This helps to save water in 2 ways. It helps to prevent the pressure relief valve from being opened and discharging water to help relieve pressure and then it eliminates the need to use cold water when mixing valves to cool blow down because it will be condensed and cooled in the expansion tank. In a steel expansion tank, the air and water will touch each other. In a bladder expansion tank, the water and air will be separated by a diaphragm.

HUMIDIFIERS

Humidifiers are often used to add moisture to the air through evaporation, which increases the relative humidity levels. There are 2 major types of humidifiers: central humidifiers and room humidifiers. A room humidifier is a self-container unit that isn’t connected to a water supply line. The reservoir is manually filled. A central humidifier will be connected to a central heating system and water supply line. The reservoir is automatically filled.

Water-Conserving Humidifiers

Humidifiers will have a continuous bleed off system and waste water. In these particular humidifiers, a constant water stream will leave the reservoir and will enter the sewer system at the same time that a continuous stream of water will fill up the reservoir. However the use of a Recirculating humidifier will not constantly drain and replace the water. There are some concerns about sick building syndrome. An alternative to this would be to reuse discarded water for another purpose like irrigating plants instead of sending to the sewer. Another option is to adjust the discharge amount to the minimum amount of water to avoid too much bleed off. Timers may be used to turn off and on the humidifiers based on your seasonal needs, or to control whenever the water is pumped out of the reservoir to remove mineral buildup.

Mist Cooling Systems

These types of systems have become readily available to home owners and businesses as a great cooling option in areas that have low humidity and high temperatures. Water will be pumped through the system and released as a fine spray that evaporates which form a cool barrier against dry, hot air. Each misting nozzle will only use about a half of a gallon of water each hour. In order to conserve water, the system should only be used whenever people are using the area. There are some systems that have sensors that turn off the misters when no one is around, or there are off/on switches that can be activated when needed. It is also best to use the misters that have nozzles that may be independently controlled so that you are able to direct the nozzles right so that the system will only cool the intended areas and turn off misters when it is too humid or windy for them to work properly.

Phoenix Valley Cooling Tower & Chiller Maintenance

If your commercial or industrial location features a cooling tower or chiller keeping them in good working order is critical.  Not only is controlling biological growth required by law, but neglecting the condition of your chillers or cooling towers reduces their life expectancy and diminishes performance.  That means they are using more energy, impacting your bottom line, and wearing out more quickly.  Maintain your industrial heating and cooling equipment with service from All Kote Lining, Inc.

Chillers, Cooling Towers
0
Regular Post
Written by webtechs

When Does Cooling Tower Fill Need Replacing?

A lot of building owners and property managers ask the question, “When Does Cooling Tower Fill Need Replacing?”.  There are 5 signs that your cooling tower fill media is worn out and needs to be replaced.  When the fill isn’t doing its job properly the cooling tower is using much more energy to do its job.  Save money, service your cooling tower, and make sure the fill is working properly.

Five Signs To Replace Cooling Tower Fill

There are 5 many signs that your cooling tower fill needs to be replaced.  Read through this list to better understand what to watch for, and know when you need to call your local cooling tower maintenance company.

Increased Energy Consumption

When fill isn’t doing its job properly the water flowing through the cooling tower isn’t getting cooled.  This means that to do the job the cooling tower is designed to do at your location it will take more electricity to do the same job.  While electricity prices to change if you’ve seen a marked increase in your bill you might check the cooling tower and the cooling tower fill.

Calcium Buildup

Makeup water contains a lot of dissolved solids and one of them in calcium.  Calcium from hard water will build up in the fill causing blockages.  When your fill is clogged the air and water cannot pass through and the cooling tower will not work.  In some cases the fill can be cleaned, in others the buildup is severe enough to require cooling tower fill replacement.

Uneven Distribution of Water

All cooling towers are designed to maximize the contact between the water and air running through them.  When the water isn’t being distributed properly because the fill is damaged or clogged it dramatically impacts the performance of the cooling tower.  Much more energy will need to be used to get the necessary cooling needed for your industrial application or HVAC system.

Warped or Sagging Fill Packs

Poor quality or old fill may warp from heat or sag with age.  If this happens you can expect that there is incredibly uneven water distribution.  Replacement of fill is a great option in these cases as one of the common reason fill sags or warps is that it simply old or has been damaged.

Damaged Support Grids

Support grids are the structure that holds your fill in place.  If water has degraded the structure, or there have been other types of damage your fill will not be performing correctly.  This can be a cause for fill packs to sag, warp, or simply fall out of place.  If your fill isn’t sitting where it should be, it isn’t doing its job.  Invest in your cooling tower maintenance and ensure that your support grids are up to par.

Phoenix Valley Cooling Tower Maintenance

There are a number of important cooling tower maintenance tasks to keep your cooling tower running at optimum efficiency.  Fill is one of the most important elements for the performance of the cooling tower.  It is where the hot cycle water goes to be cooled by the air flowing through the fill.  If your fill has buildup, clogging, or is damaged we can help!

Contact us for help with your cooling tower needs – 480-966-4446

Cooling Towers
0
Regular Post
Written by webtechs

Five Best Tips To Reduced Energy Costs In Commercial Buildings

If you’re searching for ways to reduce energy costs in commercial buildings or energy saving tips for commercial buildings you’re likely a building owner or business owner.  Reducing energy loss in your commercial property will help lower your overhead and it is fast becoming a national energy imperative.  Many of today’s retrofitting energy saving improvements could culminate into a 29% drop in energy usage by 2020.  That could translate into energy savings adding up to $290 billion dollars and also reducing green house gases by an incredible 360 million tons!

Retrofitting & The Law

There are some regions of the United States have passed initiatives that require energy saving retrofitting that reduce energy loss.  For areas that do not have such requirements the savings on energy is a major motivation for most business owners to act even without a requirement to do so.  Larger properties that have chillers and large HVAC systems consume an enormous amount of energy that constitutes a significant portion of everyday overhead.  Reducing that cost will mean freeing up funds to invest in the business or other avenues.

Five Areas To Reduce Energy Consumption

There are five major areas that you can take action to reduce your overhead and energy consumption in your commercial building.  When businesses save money on the everyday expenses it means major savings which can be invested elsewhere.

Optimize HVAC

Chillers and boilers in commercial buildings are some of the highest energy consuming elements.  They can add up to a whopping 20% of the overall energy usage.  In hot climates like Arizona chillers play a critical role in keeping commercial spaces comfortable and safe during summer.  Chiller maintenance helps keep the system more efficient and reduces the energy needed to do its job effectively.  If the chiller is worn out it can also be replaced with a newer more energy efficient unit. Boilers are also important for colder months and colder climates and must be maintained to run at peak efficiency and draw as little energy as possible.

Commercial Building Retro-Commissions

We all know that our vehicles need regular maintenance like oil changes, replacing belts, new tires, etc.  Commercial properties also need to be regularly maintained to stay efficient and use as little energy as necessary.  Adjusting small things such as when the heat or air conditioning are ran can add up to significant savings in energy and budget.  As buildings age they also may be outfitted with outdated or broken down designs for energy efficiency.  Retro-commissioning is a the process where the building will be evaluated for energy efficiency and improvements made to reduce the cost of operation.

Advanced Energy Technology

Building materials, light bulbs, and even windows have taken incredible leaps in recent years.  This is a great opportunity for older commercial properties to take advantage of much more energy efficient technology.  Commercial property energy audits are the best way to start improving a building’s efficiency.  Energy solutions discovered by the audit may include upgraded lighting systems, improving the building’s envelope, or the installation of renewable energy solutions.  These improvements will help building owners in the short term and improve the value of the building for future owners.

Steam Trap Improvement

Poorly designed, maintained, or old steam trap systems are a common issue for older buildings and hospitals which rely on boilers.  Some of these properties have hundreds of steam traps that control the steam and condensation inside the steam system.  When they are not properly maintained they can end up stuck open, and return steam into the boiler causing a decrease in efficiency.  Boiler maintenance companies can help keep these steam traps working property and the boiler working at peak performance so it consumes as little energy as possible.

Upgrading & Evaluating Energy Management Controls

When energy management controls are either outdated or programmed improperly it can lead to terrible energy efficiency.  While the controls may seem like they do their job they may be leaving your building far below its potential and be costing you money.  Upgrading to newer more advances energy management controls or having your existing controls reprogrammed can save energy and money.  When the power system is programmed correctly and climate control is optimized the savings can be incredible.

(Bonus Way) Commercial Solar

Installing commercial solar panels can help you save a ton of electricity for your building. There are many benefits of solar power for business including: reduce electricity costs, instant ROI, reliability and maintenance free, lock in your power costs and more. Depending on your business type, you could save thousands, if not millions, by installing commercial solar panels on your facility.

Budget & Environmental Benefit

To save energy building owners and property managers should evaluate their buildings in these 5  important areas so they can identify which are the highest priorities for their specific property.  Tuning, adjusting, and retrofitting the building will help reduce the energy consumption, potentially save enormous operating costs, and reduce the building’s carbon footprint.

Chillers
0
Regular Post
Written by webtechs

What Is The Best Concrete Sealer?

Both homeowners and industrial facilities have concrete floors, walls, and sometimes ceilings.  Protecting the condition of these structural elements is a priority of any property owner.  This leaves people asking, “What is the best concrete sealer?”.  The purpose of this post is to help you understand what options are out there, who installs concrete sealers, and how to choose the best one.

Types of Concrete Sealers

There are various types of concrete sealers made from different chemicals. But which is the most durable and longest lasting?  Whether its just a driveway or if you have a commercial property that’s used for industrial processes the floors need to last and be protected.  See below for the details on all of the concrete sealer options.

Acrylic Concrete Sealers

Acrylics are applied to create a thin protective film on the surface of the concrete.  They are available in water based and solvent based formulations.  Acrylics are widely used on the interior and exterior of concrete when ease of application and budget are the primary concerns.   Dry time is about an hour so it is a favorite of some industries.  While acrylic is a great budget option it does not last as long as epoxy or polyurethanes.  This leads to more regular maintenance and needing several coats of was or floor finisher.

Epoxy Concrete Sealers

Epoxy concrete sealers create a high build protective film on the surface of the concrete.  Usually comprised of two chemicals mixed just prior to application they are excellent for high-traffic floors.  Epoxy coatings can have pigment added if desired by the property owner and typically epoxy has a glossy finish.  Epoxy sealers offer a long-wearing, hard, abrasion-resistant coating.  It is excellent at repelling water and being a durable solution.

Penetrating Concrete Sealers

Penetrating concrete sealers include siliconates, silanes, silicates, and silxanes.  These options penetrate the surface of the concrete and shield against moisture by reacting and bonding with chemicals inside the concrete.  These are incredibly popular for colder weather areas where concrete is outdoors and exposed to damage from freezing and thawing.  These coatings provide an invisible layer of protection that does not change the surface of the concrete.  Excellent for outdoor concrete applications and delivers a degree of breathability which allows moisture to evaporate.

Polyurethane Concrete Sealers

Much like epoxy coatings polyurethane sealers create a high build protective film on the surface of the concrete.  Commonly used in high traffic areas and even used on concrete countertops these sealants are available in a wide range of colors and sheen levels.  Polyurethane offers a sealant layer which is twice as thick as acrylic sealers.  These coatings are abrasion resistant, repel moisture, and chemical resistant.

The Best Concrete Sealer

Clearly there are some great concrete sealant options in the market for industrial facilities.  Which is best will depend on the traffic of the facility, but most need to minimize maintenance and downtime.  This means that popular concrete sealer options are those that last longer and provide a more abrasion resistant surface.  This protects the concrete as its driven over by vehicles, forklifts, and other industrial equipment.  For the best choice for your industrial concrete structure please contact All Kote Lining, Inc.  We are the Phoenix Valley’s source for concrete sealing, cooling tower maintenance, and chiller maintenance.

Concrete Sealing
0
Regular Post
Written by webtechs

Solvent-Based Vs. Water-Based Coatings

If you’re wondering what the difference is between Solvent-based vs. water-based coatings, this post is for you. Often times coatings will take their name from the resin or binder from which they are made from. Urethanes, alkyds, and epoxies are examples of resins that will give a coating their name. These are the only parts that make up the coatings. Additionally, besides additives, which could have led a coating a certain property, and the pigments that give color, coatings also have an element that will dissolve it into a liquid to make it easy to apply.

This liquefying agent normally is a chemical solvent or water. Which is where solvent based and water based names come from. Which product is right for the job will depend on what circumstance it is being used for. Normally, one isn’t so much better than the other type, but in truth they actually perform much differently based on their situations. Both options will exist within the coating arsenal.

Water based coatings

Water based paints are about 80% of the paints sold today. There isn’t a doubt that this is because of the attraction to water based products, whether it is heavy duty protective coatings or interior house paint it has fewer odors.

When you are working in a poorly ventilated or confined area, the evaporation of solvents can be uncomfortable for anyone and hazardous to anyone’s health. It is for this reason that many projects have fuel storage tanks and railroad cars use water based coatings. This reduces the concentration of flammable vapors and materials that often build up in confined spaces.This doesn’t mean that using them will replace OSHA approved confined space safety measures.

Compliance for environmental areas is also important reason for selecting a water based coating. Most solvents will eventually evaporate into what is known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs). State, national and regional governments regulate VOCs by limiting how must businesses are allowed to emit during a certain timeframe. The EPA sets national rules for the VOCs, but there are some states that have made restrictions tighter which shows the needs to limit emissions.

Water based coatings don’t actually contain 0% solvents. Many will contain co-solvents, which are just solvents that are in lower concentrations and are meant to push the water out of the coating while it dries. Because water based coatings have little to no solvents, they are a great way to lower the VOC output. For some companies, this means spending less on environmental compliance advising or keeps them from having to pay large fines for meeting or exceeding VOC quotas that have been placed for that area.

Solvent based Coatings

These particular coatings are made up of liquifying agents that evaporate through a chemical reaction with oxygen. Normally moving air around solvent based coatings will actually begin to speed up reaction with the air which reduces the drying time.

These particular coatings have a really big advantage over water based paints. They can handle various environmental conditions like humidity and temperature during curing. Humidity can prevent the water in water based coatings from evaporating which makes them impractical in certain areas.

Water based paints are also a challenge for surface prep during any coating projects. Water, even though it is a great substitute for harsh solvents in certain situations, is also a key component for corrosion, the entire reason for industrial coatings to start with. If water makes contact with the substrate before the coating is ever applied, spot rusting may start to happen. To make sure this doesn’t happen, water based coatings have to be formulated so that all the water is drawn out of the surface film before corrosion happens. This isn’t a consideration for solvent based coatings.

In conclusion, although water based coatings are good option for jobs in confined spaces and continuous coating use, they do have weaknesses. Jobs that are in humid, open conditions like those in recoating projects, may benefit still from having the right type of coating. If you want to find which product would be best for your project, we would love to have you contact us for more information.

Phoenix Valley Coatings by All Kote Lining Inc.

If you have structures such as cooling towers, chillers, water basins, water fountains, or other structures that need to be lined with coatings in the Phoenix Valley, All Kote Lining Inc. has the team, skills, and tools to get the job done right.  Quality coatings will extend the life of your HVAC and Industrial Equipment and improve the performance by avoiding fouling, scaling, and other energy robbing problems.  To learn more about the coatings we offer and the types of applications we use them for, please get in touch with our friendly team.

Call Today – 480-966-4446

Coatings
0
Regular Post
Written by webtechs

Protect Your Water Storage Tanks From Corrosion

If you’re searching for how to “Protect Your Water Storage Tanks From Corrosion“, outdoor water tank coatings, or “Water Tank Rust Treatment” you are probably searching for a company to help protect your water storage tanks. All Kote Lining Inc. helps protect all varieties of storage tanks from corrosion. This article is designed to help you understand the need for this service and also how that service is carried out. If you have any questions please feel free to call 480-966-4446.

Outdoor Water Tank Corrosion Control

Ground level and elevated water storage tanks are the main part of most water distribution systems. Not only will these vessels help to ensure that there is enough hydrostatic pressure as well as plenty of clean drinking water, but have also been landmarks for many places. Although, if they are not maintained properly, they may become a liability because of corrosion caused service interruptions and leaks.

Nowadays, the newer high performance waterborne as well as high solids coating systems are there to help combat corrosion on water storage tanks. Additionally, being able to meet VOC regulations, these eco-friendly coatings have offered applications and finish quality type of advantages over the traditional counterparts. They have formed a strong bond to the steel substrates on the newer tanks have provided better adhesion to already existing coatings on older tanks and will be compatible with protection.

By being able to know about what causes the corrosion and the characteristics of high solids and waterborne coatings, an effective and economical tank maintenance program will be able to made and then carried out.

Destructive Forces on Above Ground Tanks

All water storage tanks are susceptible to a corrosion attack. Selecting the right water tank or cooling tower coating for being able to maintain water storage tanks simply by assessing the corrosive variables that are outside and inside the structure.

Corrosion is a natural thing that has been based on the laws of chemistry, electricity, and metallurgy. The process of refining and smelting steel and iron ore are used in water tanks, then energy is added. This causes an imbalance of energy and nature works to fix this by releasing back the energy as electrons, which cause the metal to rust, or corrode and return as a form of iron oxide.

Corrosion Prevention Coatings

The exterior of the tank and the coatings are accepted as a protection method. The main function of the coating is to make a barrier that prevents moisture and chemical compounds from touching the substrate. Although the electrolyte isn’t always around in this area, ensuring that you are preventing water ingress is vital for protection. Additionally, the coating needs to have good adhesion and abrasion as well as chemical resistant properties and the ability to deal with UV radiation.

Inside of the water tank, the corrosion control approach will be different. A strong electrolyte is formed by stored water that creates a type of vehicle for ion transfers as well as current flow in the steels micro-structure. Although, coatings may be used to interrupt this type of process and help to prevent corrosion. When there is a high dielectric strength, the coating will restrict the electron passage and then prevents metal from having the solution at the anode. If electrons aren’t able to travel to cathode, the corrosion process will be stopped.

New Coating Systems

With the enactment of certain regulations that limit VOC emissions on coatings, there have been a whole new breed of protective coatings that have been made available. The new systems contain urethanes, waterborne epoxies, acrylics, high solid and mastics epoxies. Some of these coatings are better for new tanks, while others are best for existing finishes.

So, are the coatings as good as traditional solvents? Yes. Because most of the coatings are now on the market. New polymers as well as additives that make up the coatings will allow for better application environments as well as improved looks. The main key is to achieve effective control of corrosion by using certain coating systems that have the right properties for the specific tank conditions.

Exterior coatings

Polymers that have been based on acrylic chemistry have managed to prove advantages for application. These have included durability, resistance to UV light, and flexibility. Additionally, comonomers such as acrylonitrile, styrene, and acrylic coatings that have offered superior corrosion and chemical resistance. Additionally, they do possess excellent characteristics for looks because of flow properties of liquid systems without high solvent content. Acrylics can be used as a top coat or primer on the exterior of the tank and can be an attractive alternative to polyurethane and alkyd finishes.

Waterborne epoxies

These epoxies will give the convenience of water based coatings that have performance based qualities of the solvent based system. There is a crosslinking of waterborne polymers that have monomers that have carboxyl or hydroxyl groups, and the coatings will form a dense, tight, film for better corrosion protection and adhesion. They are very acidic, moisture and alkali resistant, and are able to handle abrasion. Waterborne epoxies will dry quickly to stop wash off because old dew or rain. Additionally, adding sodium nitrite will let the epoxies be resistant to flash rusting or early rusting.

High solid epoxy mastics

These offer high degrees of salt, moisture, chemical, and acid resistance which make it a good barrier coating for tanks. This is because they are compatible with intact, old paint films and provide adhesion for marginally, dry prepared substrates that requires very little surface prep. Normally, the coatings will be applied to a prior coated tank as a primer. For those tanks that have lead based alkyd finishes, these coatings give a great base coat that will prevent lifting for a good over-coating of lead particles.

High solid polyurethanes

For a lot of years, lead based alkyds were a very popular coating for the exterior of water tanks. After lead based paints were banned, polyurethane became the choice coating. Now that there are limits for VOC emissions, the high solid polyurethane has become a very widely used coating product. This can be because of their versatility.

Immersion Service Coatings – High Solid Epoxies

There are some coating types that will meet extraction test and toxicological test requirements of the NSF/ANSI standard 61 and long term corrosion protection needs of water tanks. Epoxies and vinyl’s, only the high solid epoxy has been formulated to hit the right limit for VOC emission levels. Because of this, the high solid epoxy has been used for most immersion service applications on storage tanks.

The blistering of the protective coating is a failure of immersion services. When you are lining a blister, the ability to provide corrosion resistance is diminished. If the protection isn’t monitored right, voltage levels can exceed what is needed for polarization. This will cause high levels of hydroxyl ions to form under the paint. This causes the blistering and delamination’s.

Comprehensive Tank Maintenance

Whenever the EPA declared war on pollutants, the water industry feared that the eco-friendly alternative coating systems wouldn’t help with corrosion. This misconception was put to rest with the new high solids and waterborne coating systems. These systems provide protection against corrosion and other benefits. When you examine the properties of the coatings and find the right product for applications, water authorities will be able to create effective and economical tank maintenance programs.

Phoenix Water Tank Maintenance & Coatings

All Kote Lining Inc. offers water tank coatings along with a variety of other chemical storage tank services. We can help with all of your storage tank needs in the Phoenix area with preventative tank maintenance and repair when necessary. We strive to use the best coatings in the business to extend the life of your tanks, save you money, and help preserve the tanks integrity to help protect the environment.

Storage Tanks
0
1 2 3 4

Copyright © 2009 - 2024 All Kote Lining, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Website Design, Hosting, Maintenance & SEO by WebTechs.Net